


Where You Once Called Home

by Avery_Kedavra



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: F/F, and ten bucks it's dead because the show's over, but also i love my lesbians, come get ur juice guys, okay so i've never written anything for this fandom, so here's a messy little thing for femslash february and for my own gay heart, they're in love now they're girlfriends it's the rules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29155410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avery_Kedavra/pseuds/Avery_Kedavra
Summary: Carmen is doing her best to settle into her new life, but she feels marooned in such an unfamiliar place. Then she gets an unexpected visitor.
Relationships: Julia "Jules" Argent/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 5
Kudos: 78
Collections: Femslash February





	Where You Once Called Home

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this way back after watching season three, and I figured it wasn't too far left of canon now, if it fits between Carmen leaving and the final scene. So here, have lesbians. We all need lesbians in our lives.
> 
> (Title from Home by Vicetone!)

The apartment didn’t belong to Carmen, of course. It was registered to an eccentric older woman by the name of Scarlet San Jose. But her niece often stopped by to tidy up her things, and Carmen had already befriended the doorman, so no one ever asked more than how she was doing. It was a beautiful place, if small, on the outskirts of Veracruz, Mexico. A good opportunity for Carmen to brush up on her Spanish. A good opportunity for--meeting people.

With her clothes packed in the closet, her coat hung by the door, and a row of nesting dolls on the shelf--well, it didn’t feel like home _just_ yet. It felt a bit like she was in enemy territory. That someone would burst through the door at any moment, that the doorman was a VILE operative, that--

Carmen let out a breath.

She wasn’t undercover here. She was relaxing after a long day.

A long year, in fact. Several very long years.

And it didn’t feel like home, but maybe it would, eventually. When she stopped listening for a knock on the door.

_Knock._

Carmen almost dropped the final nesting doll. Quickly, she placed it in line with the others and walked towards the door. She reached up to ask Player who it was, paused, and put her hand back down.

When she opened the door, she was greeted with a burst of red flowers.

“Excuse me!” squeaked the flowers. Petals parted, and Julia’s face peeked out between them. “Pardon, but is this the residence of--”

“Jules!” Carmen said, smiling. “You came to visit! How’d you find me?”

“I asked around,” Julia said, struggling with the flowers. After a moment, Carmon took pity on her and gave her more room. Julia stepped into the apartment and continued to wrestle with the flowers until they sunk back into something resembling a coherent group. She looked down at them, up at Carmen, and held them out.

“For _me?”_ Carmen asked.

“Yes!” Julia continued to hold them out awkwardly, until Carmen took the flowers with a smile. “Er, as congratulations. For taking down VILE.”

“You deserve a good amount of the credit,” Carmen said. “I couldn’t have done anything without your information and support--”

“I hardly covered the leaping onto buildings aspect,” Julia pointed out.

“Still.” Carmen looked down at the flowers and smiled wider. “I’m flattered.”

“You did an incredible job,” Julia said. “I know I’m not the first person, or the last, to say so, but--” Julia looked up. “Thank you. I only wish I could have helped sooner, if I’d known the entire picture--”

“You gave me a shot before anyone did!” Carmen laughed. “Jules, thank _you_.”

“Oh.” Julia nodded a bit, and Carmen didn’t need to look closely to spot her blush. “I--that is appreciated.”

“You’re welcome,” Carmen said. “Besides, you took such time to compile this--massive group of flowers.”

“It was merely at the nearest shop,” Julia protested. “It was hardly any trouble.”

“Did you buy out the entire shop?” Carmen teased, shifting the pile of flowers. “Besides, you took such a risk, consorting with the enemy.”

“You aren’t the _enemy!”_ Julia said. “Certainly not now. We’re no longer on opposite sides.”

“Fair.”

“Besides,” Julia added, glancing away. “I don’t believe we ever _were_ on opposite sides. Not entirely.”

Carmen watched her for a second, still smiling. She had the feeling she wouldn’t be able to stop if she tried.

“Er, you should put those in water,” Julia said hurriedly. “The flowers, I mean.”

“Oh! You’re right.” Carmen looked around for a vase and found nothing. She kicked a trash can onto the counter, quickly filled it with water, and arranged the flowers inside it. It wasn’t exactly elegant, but it would do the job. “There we are.”

“Creative,” Julia said.

“You know it, Jules.” Carmen adjusted a flower. “I’ll buy a real vase later. I’ve been meaning to find some more furniture anyway.”

“It looks lovely so far,” Julia said, looking around the apartment. “Rather large for one person, though.”

“Really?” Carmen frowned. “I thought it was small. I suppose I don’t know too much about apartments.”

“Regardless, it seems like a good place for you.” Julia offered Carmen a small smile. “I’m happy you’re able to--settle down.”

“Hardly,” Carmen teased. “I don’t think I could if I tried. But I’m certainly done with _daily_ capers.”

“I’m glad.” Julia’s voice was surprisingly sincere. “You deserve to relax, just as all of us do.”

“Aw, you’re such a sweetie, Jules!” Carmen grinned. “So, where are you headed after this? I’m sure you’ve got bigger and better things to worry about--a promotion, perhaps? For catching the notorious Carmen Sandiego?”

“Oh.” Julia’s smile faded. “I--I suppose so, yes.”

“No need to bother with me?”

“No reason to,” Julia agreed, her voice growing even quieter. “I suppose you’re right.”

A car rushing beneath the window was the only sound for several seconds.

Julia was moving forward. So was Carmen. They were settling down, settling in, and finding a new future. Carmen could relax. If she deserved a break, so did Julia.

Carmen looked over at the nesting dolls, lined up on their shelf.

Moving forward didn’t mean leaving everything behind.

“You know,” Carmen said slowly, a smile growing again, “I heard that Carmen Sandiego might make an appearance at a gala next week. Tokyo.”

“Oh?” Julia asked. “You’re not a _criminal_ anymore--”

“Can you be sure?” Carmen waved a hand. “Perhaps this was all part of her plot. Perhaps she’ll return to a life of crime and robbery. The gala is _very_ exclusive--it might be best if you kept a close eye on her. For security purposes.” Carmen smiled. “You never know what she might get up to.”

“Oh,” Julia said. “Oh,” she said again.

“So,” Carmen said, pulling a rose from the bouquet and holding it out. “Would you care to join me?”

Julia looked down at it, and back up.

And she smiled--the small smile that Carmen could only see if she knew where to look. But she’d always been good at noticing things.

Maybe she could be good at other things, too.

“Yes,” Julia said, taking the rose. “I’d love to.”

Maybe this wasn’t home yet. But it could be.

It could be so many things, and Carmen couldn’t wait to see them.

“Great,” Carmen said, smiling more than she ever had. “So would I.”

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is @averykedavra if you want to see one percent carmen sandiego and ninety-nine percent sanders sides


End file.
